Predilection
by puddle-of-lemonade
Summary: They were the ones who were left behind. They took those two and half years they were given and made them their own. KakaSaku friendship, then slow romance. complete.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **Kishimoto is god, enough said.

**Pairings:** KakaSaku (though it's a slow romance, more of a friendship)

xxx

**Predilection / Those Years That Were Ours**

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'If you want to know what makes me sad  
Well, it's hope, the endurance of faith  
A battle that lasts a lifetime  
A fight that never ends.'

~ SXRT by Bloc Party

xxx

Sakura didn't know how she felt anymore.

Sometimes she felt angry – at Sasuke for leaving, at Naruto for disappearing with Jiraiya without a word and, overwhelmingly so, at herself. In those times, she would hit everything in sight to vent it out, but to no avail. Over and over in her head, she would tell herself she was weak – that it was why Sasuke rejected her and left to go Orochimaru. She knew with a raw, near unbearable certainty that she couldn't have stopped him even if she tried. Once the anger drained away, most often than not, she sported bruised and bloodied knuckles. As the blood trickled down her wrist and arm, she would just stare, feeling nothing.

She had no more tears left to cry. Apathy crept up onto her more so every day. In those times, she would train and train – working her body into exhaustion without caring. She had only one thing in mind and that was to get stronger, no matter what. To match Sasuke and Naruto's level. To drag Sasuke back if need be. She'd leave the knocking sense into the Uchiha to Naruto, as he was the best at it. Sakura never let herself day-dream about the future beyond that – to gain a useless hope that things would be good. She became harder on herself, on everyone else. She didn't understand how Ino or the girls her age could waltz around shopping for days and expect to get stronger. They were _weak,_ in mind and body. They had no resolve.

Even with all of her anger, her determination and resolution, she knew that the sadness never was far away. She distanced herself from everyone – feeling the loss of her team mates, of her partners, of the family she had in Team Seven. The kunai in her hand was the only thing she felt comfortable around and that saddened her. She and Ino, her best friend, barely saw one another anymore – as they both had missions to finish, had their own masters to go back to and different friends. The gap of experiences between them was just too large. Ino didn't understand that losing Naruto and Sasuke was like losing a limb to Sakura.

Team Seven was family and she needed them, even for all the things said and unsaid – Naruto and Sasuke were necessary to her existence, to her state of mind and future. She needed to see Naruto's sunny smile and his stubborn optimism. She needed Sasuke's quiet, yet strong presence and to see his smug smirk. She needed to feel safe and protected like she had around Kakashi. Sakura's heart ached for it.

So, thus, after Tsuande accepted her as her apprentice, she trained in nearly every waking moment – sun up to sun down. She knew deep down that she over-worked herself, but the determination to get better, to achieve her utmost best was overwhelming. She had nothing else to live for. She could _not_ let herself have anything else. She would save her family and beat the crap out of them for being stupid. She had made a promise to herself, a vow that she could never break, damnit!

And yes, she was channelling her inner self more so than before. She found it was a relief to do so, to her immense surprise. She asked herself a many a time why she had been content to act like the wimp she had been . . . surely both Naruto and Sasuke would've respected her more if she had been more herself?

But one day, Shizune, under Tsuande's orders, kicked Sakura out and demanded that she had to have a break – or the Hokage would snap her arms and legs to _make_ her rest for once, in the hospital if need be. The pink-haired shinobi wandered around and was, needless to say, frustrated that she had nothing to do. She felt useless - she wanted to train and to punch something _hard_. To feel the satisfying crunch of wood breaking beneath her knuckles and hear the resounding, sharp clangs of two kunais meeting in battle . . .

But then she saw a very familiar person reading on the roof.

Sakura stopped and stared at the man on the building across from the Hokage Tower, his face hidden by a mask and an orange book. The young woman made a face at the title: _Icha Icha Paradise_. Hadn't Kakashi read the book more a hundred times by now? He had had it even before Team Seven had been established.

Sakura sighed, leaning on the window frame tiredly – feeling a sudden exhausting melancholy. It had been months since she had even _talked _to her old sensei, and they had barely shared a few glances between one another. They had, of course, seen and passed each other on the streets as Konoha was a small village, but . . . he only waved and she only nodded in greeting. It was too weird between them, without Naruto and Sasuke around, too close and empty at the same time.

Though slowly, through her daily tasks she had seen him - he was always in the same places, doing the same things . . . in the mornings, buying breakfast at that little stall on the corner of the street, at midday he stared at the Hokage Faces on the mountains . . . and so on and so forth. She never went out of her way to find out his strange routine, as it felt too personal to do so. She let him be – figuring that the reason he never sought her out was that he didn't want to be reminded of his failure in regards to Team Seven. But sometimes, she asked herself whether it was her own reason, her own sense of failure, which stopped her from trying to break the silence between them. Maybe it was a mixture of both, but she really didn't know.

Sakura brushed a strand of pink hair from her face and put it behind her ear. Kakashi was still reading his ridiculous book and lounging against the wall behind him lazily. She looked down and frowned momentarily at the window pane, uncertain.

_Why am I being weak again by hiding away from him? He's just Kakashi._

At this thought, she climbed out of the open window and with the help of a tree branch, jumped to the roof softly. For a second she hesitated, but then she sat down next to him, their backs against the wall of the building – the space between them neither near nor far. Kakashi brought his nose out of his book and turned, smiling at her through his mask. She returned the smile a little sheepishly, and then he shamelessly went back to his reading. Sakura took out an apple and ate it, while he read. No words were shared, which she found she didn't mind, as the soothing company was just fine.

The corner of her mouth twitched upwards – she had missed this. The only thing that was not there was Sasuke and Naruto bickering. She shook her head and dismissed the thought to contemplate her apple core.

Just sit, she told herself, just relax.

And she did.

She didn't know how long they sat there, soaking up the noonday sun and each other's presences – but it was a very shocked Shizune that found her after actually _searching_ for her. In all the months that Sakura had been an apprentice – such a thing had never happened. Shizune never mentioned it, but she was pleased that she had because Sakura looked relaxed for once. Though, the dark-haired woman didn't leave without murmuring a profuse thank you to an amused and baffled Kakashi.

As Sakura got up, she blushed in embarrassment and apologised to both of them – because she had been dozing and lost track of the time. She didn't look back as she left and followed Shizune, but if she had, then she would have seen Kakashi watching her with a bemused look.

For a time afterwards, she began to come back to that same spot to sit on the roof with her old sensei. It was strange . . . she always felt the need to go to him, like she was being lead along by a magnetic pull. In the beginning she only bought her lunch, then she started reading medical tombs and scrolls while she ate. But soon fiction followed, and then, out of pure curiosity, she bought an _Icha Icha Tactics_. The comfortable silence that had reigned for days was broken when Kakashi glanced at the title of her latest book.

He lifted his only visible eyebrow and asked, 'Aren't you a little young for that?'

Sakura grinned, 'Yeah, I am. But I've read worse.'

Then they carried on reading.

Though they only said a few sentences to one another – it broke an invisible wall between them and it became easier to be around each other. They started talking – discussing the plots of the various _Icha Icha_'s (Sakura couldn't help but blush at times), the medical jutsus she had learnt and the different theories she had of what he looked like under his mask (all of which he shot down in patient amusement). They began playing card games – and to Sakura's eternal annoyance – Kakashi won nearly every game. There were times when they sat back and watched the clouds pass them by in the sky – commenting on the shapes and made up random stories about them. Sakura could see after that how Shikamaru could sit for hours on end doing so – you just had to have the right person next to you.

But overall and unvoiced between them, they knew that they both enjoyed the sense of normalcy and company. Even if they weren't officially a team, or went on missions together . . . they had something that could never be forgotten or erased. They remembered what it meant to be Team Seven.

Sakura glanced over at Kakashi, at his shock of grey hair and at his ever-present mask, then let herself smile.

_I have part of my family back._


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **Kishimoto is god, enough said.

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'Well, see what you wanna see. You should see it all.  
Well, take what you want from me. You deserve it all.  
Nine times out of ten our hearts just get dissolved.  
Well, I want a better place or just a better way to fall. . .'

~ Bukowski by Modest Mouse

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Days flew by and blurred into one another for Sakura as her life and ruthless training carried on. She barely had time to tend to her basic needs, or else forgot them, in and amongst her studying. She was never really was sure of the date and only noticed the time of day when the sun was either rising or setting. Physical training sessions and missions around the village were mechanical tasks she did without questions.

The only times she really felt like herself was when she was training with Tsuande, or when she was sitting on the roof with Kakashi. She felt truly alive when the glowing green chakra left her hands and healed wounds, stemmed blood-flow, withdrew poisons . . . it was only in these times that she felt like she was really a Konoha kunoichi – that she was one with her Hidden Village and with the Will of Fire.

But as she sat by her old sensei's side and smiled up at him, she felt safe and protected. She had trusted this man with her life before, and she knew she'd do so again without hesitation. It was always a relief to see Kakashi. With him, she could be dismally late, she could young and stupid like Naruto used be more often than not.

So, it was to her great delight that Tsuande asked Kakashi whether he would train her youngest apprentice in taijutsu in-between his missions. Sakura was beaming when she was told that he had accepted without complaint. Tsuande claimed that she had no time to train Sakura more than was necessary as she was the Hokage and that offensive wasn't her specialty, so it was the logical solution.

Sakura felt bubbly for days – Kakashi had never taught her _personally_, even in the Team Seven days. That honour had always fallen to Sasuke. Because of that fact, she was determined to show him how much she had grown in strength and how much she had changed. She had the burning need to show him that she wasn't that young girl he had tricked with genjutsu anymore.

It was only after their first training lesson together that Kakashi learned to what extent her ruthlessness went. He was shocked, and Sakura was satisfied to see that he showed it. She didn't stop, no matter how exhausted she was, till he told her to. She put her whole heart into everything she did, every move she learned and ultimately mastered.

Kakashi felt oddly proud as he watched her. Even when she never thought that all she did, all the effort she put in, was _not_ enough. She had become a strong kunoichi, a far-cry from what she used to be, and he knew that she would go further. Kakashi knew what drove her – the need to catch up to her team-mates, to walk side-by-side with them and to hold their respect.

As they progressed with the training - her stubbornness, her willpower never wavered – every lesson, every task he set for her . . . she never gave up. When he asked her one day why, she answered simply, 'It's what the baka would've done.'

One night, nearly half a year after Naruto had left, Sakura decided to go have ramen on a whim after passing Ichiraku's earlier in the day. When she got there and parted the flaps of the stall, she saw a man with a masked face and a splash of grey hair sitting on one of the stools. With a smile, she sat down next to him and ordered some food.

'It's good to be here again,' she said quietly, her green eyes wandering the small stall with affection. Kakashi glanced at her and nodded, his eye half-open and strangely pensive.

As she let her noodles cool, she started talking about the good times that they had had as Team Seven and about their two missing team members. They laughed and joked as they spoke of Naruto's silly antics and Sasuke's inability to say he needed help and the face he would put on when he tried to. By the end, it was late into the night and Sakura found she didn't care. After one last, shared chuckle, they lapsed into a comfortable silence that was only broken at times by the sounds of their chopsticks knocking against their ramen bowls. Sakura's eyes were welling and her heart felt light and she noticed that Kakashi's eye had lost a little shadow.

She couldn't deny it, nor wanted to – that it had been good for both of them to remember, even if it had been painful. They had been both left behind, but goddamnit, if they were going to be left alone – then they would be alone together.


	3. Chapter 3

xXx

'And we'll collect the moments one by one,  
I guess that's how the future's done . . .'

~ Mushaboom by Feist

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Sakura squinted as the morning light flooded in from her parted curtain. Belatedly, drowsily, she moved an arm over her eyes to protect them. A moment later, after a bout of sleep-muddled hesitation, she rolled over with muffled groan, bringing her duvet with her in a tangle. It was her day-off, and she wanted to sleep-in for once. Even if she didn't fully appreciate the free-time that was forced upon her, her body agreed whole-heartedly with the sentiment.

But her mind wasn't having it. As more confused and fuzzy thoughts became clear, so did her wakefulness. Restlessness rose up in her and her bed became uncomfortable, her duvet hot and cumbersome. She groaned again and struggled up into a seated position, rubbing a sleep-encrusted eye with the back of her hand. As she swung her tired gaze up to her window, she heard it slide open softly and saw her curtains flutter in the light and in a sudden wave of cool air. She couldn't help but smile as she felt air caress her face, her skin, her cheeks with the utmost of gentleness.

When the pale yellow curtains fell against the wall and glass once more, she saw a crouched figure on the small roof below her window. Kakashi was, for once, without his book in sight and had an arm bent around his back. She knew by the crinkles around his eye that he was smiling beneath his mask.

'Yo,' he said, lifting his hand up in greeting. Sakura used to dislike the way he was so casual and calm in all situations, but now . . . it was just how things were. It had become a comfort, an utterly normal fact of life that she didn't want to change.

'Mornin',' Sakura grumbled, pushing her pink hair out of her face with a hand, messing up her already bed-ridden hair more than before. Her hands fell to her lap and she blinked blearily up at her sensei. 'What's up?'

'Congratulations, Sakura,' he answered, bringing what he had been carrying into sight. It was . . . a Chuunin jacket. She stared at it, slightly disbelievingly, bemusedly and in awe. Even though she had known that she would be getting one, it was still a shock – a reality that had not yet sunk in.

It had been a week since she had returned from Suna – since she had taken part in the Chuunin Exams. It still seemed unreal to her. But she found that it was ironic, almost bitter, that she was first in Team Seven to rise to the rank after all that had happened in the last. A tiny part of her felt that she shouldn't be the only one to have this jacket – that one blond with a sunny smile should be proudly standing at her side, while he bickered over her head with smug, smirking boy. Absently, she wondered if her two teammates would be proud of her, if they would take her seriously now, if they would come home . . .

Kakashi proffered the jacket out to her and she took it, a small sad smile tugging at her lips. She glanced up at him, hoping that he understood the gratitude and the gratefulness in her eyes. The crinkles by his eye grew and he reached out and ruffled her hair.

'You did well,' he said, then he stood and turned. He looked at her over a shoulder, hesitating for the barest of moments, before raising his hand again. 'I'll see you at Training Area Sixteen tomorrow at five am, right?'

She nodded, her smile widening into a grin, 'Then I'll be there around nine-ish.'

Kakashi chuckled, then lifted his hand in a hand-seal. He disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Sakura stared out of the window, silently watching the world as the sun cast light over it and made shadows within. She sighed, running her fingers over the fabric – savouring the small, mingling sense of pride that rose forth. She had done it. She was a Chuunin.

She had finally beat Naruto and Sasuke.

That thought evoked nothing in her, dousing her pride suddenly, abruptly. Once, a long time ago, she would've been boasting to Naruto about how smart and clever she was, then would've asked Sasuke if he would _finally_ go out with her now that she had proved herself worthy. Sakura let her green eyes follow the lines of the jacket, noting the difference between her pale skin and the dark green material. She knew that she was different, that much was obvious, and older. Now that she had the benefit of retrospect, she only felt amused and disappointed with herself.

_If only . . ._

No, she had changed. She had no time for regrets.

Sakura slipped the jacket over her baggy t-shirt and zipped it up half-way. It fit her and felt almost disturbingly comfortable – like she had slipped on a second skin. The jacket was a symbol – of growth, of responsibility, of achievement and of what she had paid for it. She could never be as happy or care-free as she had been when she had become a genin. She had seen far too much for that to be possible. She had felt too much . . . at one time, she had thought that was a failing in a ninja, but now she knew that no-one, especially shinobi, could escape that fate. It was what made them human – what made them hate the death and loss, and love the life and people they cherished. What made them fight and kill.

It was what made her wait for them to return. And want to beat the shit out of them when they did.

Sakura sighed, placing her hand on her chest. She felt her heart beat inside, so strong, yet fragile. She remembered how it had skipped a beat when she had learned that she had passed the Exam, even though she had narrowly lost to Shino in the final. How it had calmed at Kakashi's small touch – a hand on her shoulder – when the adrenaline had coursed through her system after the First Task. And she remembered the sadness that made her heart beat painfully when she had parted ways with Ino and Chouji, their time as a team for the duration of the exams finished, leaving a bitter tang in her mouth.

She told herself that it wasn't longing - the sad, pathetic excuse of wistfulness and remembrance of things now missing. She pretended that her heart had not ached as she had watched the easy banter between Ino and Chouji. She tried to convince herself that she was not wasting her energy on such silly things as wishing and sadness.

_But, _Sakura thought, a small smile creeping unwittingly onto her face as she touched her head and gathered the ghost memory of his touch into her heart. _At_ _least . . . he's here._


	4. Chapter 4

xXx

'And we don't mean that much,  
Cause you don't smile at me that much,  
Yeah, we don't mean that much,  
But I don't need much to make me happy. . .'

~ We Don't Mean That Much by The Wombats

xXx

As Sakura stood waiting, she fingered the long, precisely cut stems of a bunch of flowers. She glanced around the room, taking in the familiar quiet and subdued sense of busyness. She liked Konoha's Hospital, it had become like a second home to her in-between work, training and stays there after missions. Every corner and room was not unknown to her, as were the inhabitants of the large building. Nearly all of the staff and patients knew her by name and had been healed or helped by her in some way over the course of the last few months.

Sakura looked up at the desk, then at the clock up on the wall, noting the time a little impatiently. Visiting hours were meticulously handled by the staff of the hospital, by Sakura herself during her shifts, and were but minutes away from starting. Sakura suppressed the urge to tap her foot. She stared down at the flowers, at their delicate and small petals spiralling out from their centres. She didn't know why she had had the urge pick them, to bind them to together loosely and to take them with her. It had just felt like something she had to do.

When the nurse behind the desk finally rose from her chair, Sakura was the first in line to sign in. She wrote her name and details on the list, then whisked away down the hallway, assured in her steps. Near the end of the hallway, she knocked softly on a door and paused for a moment before entering. There was a single bed, covered by white linen and occupied by a man. He was propped up by pillows and was looking out of the open window.

Sakura made her way to the small table by the bed and placed the flowers in the empty vase upon it. As she added water, she glanced up at the man, only to find him watching her. She smiled, and gained one of sorts in return, covered by a mask.

Sakura reached out, lifted his grey hair out of the way and placed her hand on his bare forehead, 'Your fever's gone, I see.'

'Gone by morning, as you said,' Kakashi replied as she let her hand fall back to her side. 'I still don't see why I had to stay the night though.'

'Of course you don't,' Sakura muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes. 'You don't have anything remotely connected to reason when hospitals or your general health is concerned.'

'What was that you said?' Kakashi asked cheekily, earning a glare from his student. She put her hands on her hips and gave him a look that showed her disapproval very clearly. He chuckled, glancing out of the window a little wistfully as he ran the edge of his sheets between his fingers.

'Sensei, you know that every ninja – and especially one of your calibre – has to report to the hospital, or at least to a medi-nin, every six months for a check-up. . . .' Sakura said, her eyes narrowed slightly as her gaze fell to the floor. 'If I hadn't insisted that we both come here after our mission – you'd still be bleeding internally and worrying over more than just a fever.'

He was staring at her again – she could feel his gaze on her and as she looked up again almost in reflex, there were crinkles by his one open eye. 'Then I thank you, Sakura. For dragging my most unwilling self back to good health.'

A frown rose on her face, 'You're still not going to go to the check-ups, are you?'

He shrugged a shoulder, 'Most probably not.'

Sakura sighed, crossing her arms and closing her eyes tiredly. '_Tsk_, typical.' She cracked open an eye and peered across at him. 'Your dislike of hospitals or anyone with even a smidgeon of healing jutsu in them still borders on idiocy, you know.'

'But Sakura,' Kakashi cut in, the crinkles by his eyes deepening, 'I like you. And you're a medi-nin.'

Sakura gave him a withering look, 'You only like me because I can beat the shit out of you now. But I'm not sure whether or not you like the fact that I nag you enough to keep you away from death's door.'

'I'm just letting you do your job, Sakura,' he answered cheerfully, 'Even though your fists are slightly irritating, because it's you, they are still likeable. You do have nice hands, even if they are a little scary in action.'

She took in a deep, calming breath, 'You and your back-handed compliments.'

'You should be used to them by now, Sakura,' Kakashi said with amusement. 'And if you aren't, then you're going to be very entertaining on our next mission.'

Sakura shot glare at him. 'Even if I'm used to them, doesn't mean I have to appreciate them.' Then a wave of tiredness crossed her expression. 'Another mission? I don't know if I can keep up with this pace.' She sat down on the edge of the bed, a hand pushing back pink strands as she stared down at her lap.

Ever since the Chuunin Exams in Suna, she had been in high demand for missions. Because there were not many medi-nin with her level of skill, and that she had no team of her own, she had been put into the many different platoons for missions and even was bundled off to Anbu Headquarters to treat those shinobi there. Much to her surprise, soon after becoming a Chuunin, she was sent off on a mission with Kakashi.

Then, after the mission's easy success, Tsuande decided to partner them together from then on. Sakura became Kakashi's back-up, his medic, the complement to his skills.

On the many missions they had together, she learned very quickly how to separate the personal from the professional – to harden her heart and do all to complete their task. Though it was strange to be in a team again without Naruto and Sasuke – they had to learn how to work together flawlessly. They were no longer teacher and student on their missions – but partners. They had to respect and treat each other equally, even if they were of different rank. By this promise they made to one another, their combination became popular and an object of slight awe in the eyes of their fellow shinobi. Their mission request pile was never empty.

Sakura sighed, shaking her head to clear her thoughts and her head.

_I'm so tired . . . so very tired._

A soft silence grew between them as they closed their mouths and opened their ears, listening to the tentative breeze wade around the room and escape out of the window. The sounds of footsteps and hum of hushed voices crept into the ward – punctuated now and then by bouts of laughter and greetings and talk. There was such a sense of continuity, of life and of acceptance in the air that it almost made Sakura smile. She could feel the tiredness and worry drain from her body, bit by bit.

'Did you cut your hair?'

Sakura glanced up at Kakashi, noting idly the curiosity in his gaze and how his hair dipped when he tilted his head to the side. She nodded, feeling suddenly self-conscious, and said, 'It was getting in the way.'

Kakashi reached out and touched her hair, twirling a strand around a finger near her ear. 'It's nice.' After a moment, he lowered his hand to his lap, a strange thoughtfulness about his eye. 'You should let it grow though.'

Sakura could feel a slight burning on her cheeks and hoped that she wasn't blushing. She nodded quickly, 'Okay. . . thanks.'

In that moment, Sakura found that she liked those crinkles by Kakashi's eye. They told her that he was smiling, and even when she wanted to see that smile uncovered, it was good enough. It was nice to know that she could still make someone smile.

And most of all, they assured her that there was still a person at her side and that she was not alone anymore. Even when those mismatched eyes were cold and empty when they passed fleetingly with death – the warmth that seeped back into his gaze was enough. It lightened her heart more than she could barely believe.

Those crinkles by his eye made her believe that there was still good in the world.


	5. Chapter 5

xXx

'There, there, baby  
It's just text book stuff  
It's in the ABC of growing up  
Now, now, darlin'  
Oh, don't lose your head  
'Cause none of us were angels  
And you know I love you, yeah . . .'

~ Speeding Cars by Imogen Heap

xXx

The sun rose up above the horizon, its light rich in colour and casting long, stretching shadows across the earth. Before a group of three ninjas, the Konoha gate loomed overhead, darkened by the dawn and almost ominous in its silence. The trees they had walked side by side with for days on end released them from its protective shade and branches, unable to stop their steps towards their home. Sakura glanced back over her shoulder, taking the quiet grace, the whispers of the wind and the rustle of leaves they were to leave behind. A sudden, though mild urge to run back – to go far away from the sleeping village before her – simmered to the surface, but she pushed it to the side. This was her home, her birthplace, her everything . . .

The place she would, and had done, everything to protect.

They walked in silence, the gravel crunching underfoot, and none of them found the need for words. They had finished their mission, done what was required of them as ninja, and were free till they were needed once more. Sakura found she couldn't look at the others' faces and congratulate them on another job well done. She couldn't, they didn't deserve this . . . and she couldn't take it.

Drifting through the streets, they parted ways one by one. Sakura carried on straight ahead, towards the Hokage's Tower, her feet pulling her along as she told her mind that she didn't want to think, not anymore, not ever again. She knew it was futile attempt, but she needed, pleaded, for this one request.

_Please . . ._

The sun lit up the stairway as she made her way up the building. She concentrated on each step she took, and not on what she would say to her master. She shoved the words that flowed to the ready away - far away. Her mouth felt dry, her hands shook even when she fisted them at her sides and placing one foot in front of one another took more strength than ever before.

The door to Tsuande's office lay in front of her, beckoning, welcoming as always. Sakura took in a shaky breath - what she had to do in there was far too horrible to even contemplate. She would have to _say_ it, have to acknowledge it . . .

She lifted her hand and stared at it. The tendons beneath the skin trembled, her fingers felt cold and detached. Her hands felt dirty, disgusting and not hers. They felt like they were someone else's. They were of a person that she didn't like or want to accept.

She let her hand drop to her side, then used the other to open the door. A burst of light shone right in her eyes and she ducked out of its path, peering up at where she knew lay Tsuande's desk. Sitting back in her chair, Tsuande was looking out of the window, her blonde hair loose over her shoulders and a pen in hand.

Sakura walked forward, placing herself before her master, her face wiped clean of expression. Tsuande ran a hand through her hair, pushing it back out of her eyes and sighed, before turning round to Sakura. The orange glow of the morning light landed on the Hokage's face and neck, colouring her pale skin and darkening her hair. There were shadows under her brown eyes that showed yet another night of no sleep.

Sakura noted the lack of sake glasses that usually littered her master's desk, then the large pile of papers and scrolls. She didn't feel proud, as she usually did when Shizune had rarely succeeded in withholding her master's favourite drink. She didn't feel much as Tsuande stared up at her.

'You're back,' Tsuande said as she laid her pen on the desk.

Sakura nodded, 'Chuunin Haruno Sakura, reporting in.'

Tsuande frowned, 'Sakura, there is no need for this.'

'I see you got our message,' Sakura carried on quietly. 'Then you should know of the mission's success.'

'But . . . what of Saki?'

Sakura looked away to the side, then closed her eyes. Tsuande glanced down at the young girl's shaking fists, then sighed again. She lifted herself up and out of her chair, then walked to her student. Hesitating on for a moment, Tsuande put her hand on Sakura's shoulder and said, 'It was what you had to do.'

Sakura's eyes flickered open and shot to Tsuande's face. She held the woman's gaze for a long, tense moment, then she moved her shoulder away from her touch and murmured, 'I shall take my leave, Hokage-sama.'

Tsuande parted her lips, and for a brief second, it looked almost as if she would say something - but she stilled. She lowered her arm and turned her gaze back to the window, to the sprawling city that lay beyond it.

'Then go.'

Sakura bowed, spun round and left.

Xxx

The sun beat down hard on the training grounds, making heat waves curl through the air. Sakura took in harsh pants of air, the sweat dripping down the sides of her face and into her eyes. Her bloodied, bruised knuckles stung sharply as they hung by her sides, as she moved her legs into a prepared, ready stance.

She gulped, blinking as her eyes wandered over the wake of her blows and her mind didn't fully take it all in. Her whole body ached fiercely and she had never felt so tired in her entire life. Blood thudded loudly in her ears and it was an effort, a frantic need, to be able to take in enough air. She had trained without stopping, without a thought of time or of her exhaustion. She had only let her mind follow the movements of the exercises.

But now the world was spinning and before she could react, she fell back into a low crouch. She closed her eyes, breathing hard, but opened them again as the disorientation set in. With effort, she sat down on the ground and rested her elbows on her knees.

For a few minutes, she concentrated on her breathing and nothing else. Calm, calm down. When the ease flowed back, she stared down at the dusty ground and let herself feel the exhaustion course through her body. Her limbs felt like stone and her head heavy.

Sakura tilted her hand back till she could see the palm. Her fingers twitched and complained, covered in dust and sweat. She could see the blue veins beneath the skin, a strange network that seemingly had no order and one master.

To her right, there was a footfall. Slowly, Sakura moved her head in the direction of the noise and peered up at the person that had approached her. She should've known that he'd come find her, he always did, no matter what.

Kakashi looked down at her, his one visible eye unreadable, with his hands in his pockets. He saw her raw gaze, then crouched down next to her and sighed gently. He sat down, unmindful, uncaring of the dust and stones. Slowly, with the utmost of patience, he put an arm over her shoulders.

Sakura hugged her knees tightly, fixing her eyes on the ground, trying not to feel the gratefulness that swept through her being with the simple touch and warmth. But the want to shake off any comfort given arose – she didn't deserve this, not this . . .

After a moment of silence, he began softly, 'I was eleven when I first took a person's life.'

Sakura dug her fingers into her skin, ignoring the dull flash of pain that accompanied the action.

'There was a war, as there always were in those times. I didn't have the chance to go home then, as there were always more missions, more death and hatred. I didn't let myself think of the things I had done . . . but one night, I couldn't hold it in anymore. I felt like I was going to burst – that I'd say or do something unforgivable if I didn't.'

Sakura glanced up at him, watching him stare into the distance unseeingly.

'But my sensei, the Yondaime Hokage, wrapped his arms around me. In that moment, with that small measure of comfort, he became something else . . . he seemed to change. Into nothing, but, at the same time, everything. He wasn't a Hokage, or my sensei, or a fellow ninja or even a man. He was just a friend – one that I would bleed, kill and die for. He was just a human being, one that was there for me and was offering a shoulder to cry on. I have never felt so grateful, nor have I wept like I did then – even when my sensei died. ' Kakashi turned and pulled her into a hug, his head bumping against hers. 'So, Sakura, I'm here for you.'

Her shoulder shook and her hands gripped her calves painfully as her forehead rested against his jacket. His words flooded her thoughts and suddenly she wept - desperate, broken, choked sobs that spoke more than any words could.

Sakura had no idea or even a semblance of thought of time as she sobbed. In her head, she was reliving that moment – the moment that she had to kill another human being for the first time. She could almost feel the kunai in her hand, the blood that was not her own dripping down onto her fingers and see those wide, wide eyes that stared up at her uncomprehendingly. She could hear the ragged breaths, the thud as the body fell to the ground and the scrap of gravel as they curled into themselves, as if to protect the fatal wound and vulnerability. Those pitiful, pathetic whimpers and denials repeated themselves in her head over and over again . . .

The guilt was gut-wrenching. The anger and helpless frustration made her want to hurt, destroy something, _anything_.

'I-I c-could've . . . could've not done it. I should've hurt her, not k-killed her . . .' Sakura whispered despairingly – not caring if Kakashi heard her or not. She had to get it out. Get rid of it all.

'You did what you had to do to ensure your team's safety, as well as your own.'

'B-but-'

'Sometimes we have no choice, Sakura.'

She looked up at him, not wanting to accept his words, but she knew with a deep, terrible certainty that he was right. Sakura rubbed an eye dry with the back of her hand.

'I know that now.'


	6. Chapter 6

xXx

'I wish we could open our eyes  
To see in all directions at the same time  
Oh, what a beautiful view  
If you were never aware of what was around you.

And it is true what you said  
That I live like a hermit in my own head,  
But when the sun shines again  
I'll pull the curtains and blinds to let the light in. . .'

~Marching Bands of Manhattan by Death Cab For Cutie

xXx

Sakura leant forward in her seat, her hands wrapped around a half-full cup, and smiled down at the waning steam that arose from it. She gave a contented sigh, then remarked, 'They make really good mocha here, don't you think?'

She glanced up at the man across from her, not really expecting a response, then at the orange book in his hands, an amused grin widening on her face. She chuckled, lifting her cup from the table, and took a sip of her mocha. As she licked the cream off her upper lip, she let her eyes wander the small cafe – at the high ceiling, the dirty- white walls, the green trees through the wide windows – taking it all in. The owner of the cafe had her head stuck out of the window as she took a smoke break, the sun streaming in with the sounds of birds chirping.

Sakura knew it was far too early in the morning to expect any other customers. At first, it had been strange to sit in the quiet - it had been too empty, too lifeless. But now she appreciated the peacefulness, as it gave her time to notice things she had never really seen before. She liked how the leaves of trees outside in the cafe's courtyard chattered even when the barest of breezes came by, how everything had a sleepy flow that slowly faded till the day had set in, and how beautiful Konoha looked in first rays of light in the morning. There were, without fail, little bunches of flowers decorating the round tables that littered the cafe, accompanied by the wafting smell of freshly baked goods. These things made Sakura smile, even if it was just a little.

'Are you finished?' Sakura asked, brushing a pink strand behind her ear.

Kakashi looked up from his book and blinked. He frowned down at his cup, and then, almost reluctantly, he laid his precious _Icha Icha _on the table. 'Nearly.'

Sakura smiled, taking another sip. 'Hurry up then.'

'I'm trying to avoid the inevitable, aren't I?' he asked, a touch wryly, as he slipped a bookmark between the pages.

'You are,' Sakura said, pausing before smugly adding. 'You promised.'

'You _made_ me promise,' the man corrected.

Sakura waved her hand dismissively, 'That's just a technicality.'

Kakashi snorted, then lifted the menu before his face to hide it as he drank his coffee. Sakura looked down, letting her gaze follow the patterns on the tablecloth. She found herself thinking back to the time that she would've done anything to able to find out what was beneath her sensei's mask . . . to a time when it wasn't as normal as breathing to wait in amusement to see what Kakashi would do, or use, next to protect the knowledge of his facial features. It felt a little strange to think of that time when so many things had come to pass. It felt like it had been far longer than a year.

She finished off her mocha, just as Kakashi lowered the menu. She grabbed her bag from off the floor and said brightly, 'Time to go.'

Kakashi sighed and gave her a tired, bored look. 'Do I have to?'

'Of course,' Sakura answered. 'Do you want me to remind you _why_ you promised?'

'No thanks,' came the quick reply. 'I don't need that level of clarity so early in the morning.'

xXx

'Those piles of books are to go in that box, okay?'

Kakashi crouched down, gave his student a glare, then picked up a box as ordered. Sakura carefully folded a t-shirt, smiling at his expression, then reached out for another article of clothing. She was sitting on a stool, the only piece of furniture left in room.

Kakashi had an armful of books when he asked wearily, 'Do I have to talk to your mother again?' He glanced at the door askance.

Sakura couldn't help but giggle, 'Nah, yesterday was good enough.'

'Thank God . . .' Kakashi muttered as he packed away a few scrolls, 'You know, I never thought that I'd have deal with parents, or situations like this, when I agreed to take on a genin team.'

Sakura laid the top she had been folding on her lap and looked out of the window. 'Yeah, I guess that's understandable.' Her gaze fell down and she fiddled with the edge of her top. 'This is more what a friend would do.'

Kakashi stilled and looked over his shoulder at her. After a moment, he turned back to packing and said, 'Well, you're lucky that you have a friend with Kage Bunshin.'

Sakura grinned, peering up at him through pink stands, 'Useful too.'

Kakashi taped the box closed and stood, pushing his hair back. He glanced around the nearly empty room, at the piles of box and bags, and sighed. Sakura got up to stand at his side, her arms crossed loosely, as they both looked upon the result of their efforts.

He gave her a sidelong look, crinkles by his eye, 'This'll be the last load.'

She nodded, murmuring, 'Thank you.'

Kakashi reached out and ruffled her hair, before saying cheerfully, 'You're welcome, Sakura. Though, you owe me for this.'

Sakura immediately frowned, which transformed into a glare swiftly. 'You promised.'

'I did, but I didn't promise to deal with your sobbing mother. It took me _hours_ to convince her that it was all right for you live on your own. I had to repeat myself beyond count. I had to _comfort _her.'

'Oh, really?' Sakura said, looking both amused and unimpressed. 'Poor, poor Kakashi.'

They glared at each other.

'Settle this over an arm wrestle?' Sakura asked, her green eyes narrowed dangerously.

'You know you'd win then.'

Sakura grinned impishly, 'That's why.'


	7. Chapter 7

xXx

'Nobody said it was easy,

It's such a shame for us to part.

Nobody said it was easy,

No one ever said it would be this hard.

Oh, take me back to the start. . .'

~ The Scientist by Coldplay

xXx

Sakura reached out and pulled back the curtains over her small window. She blinked sleepily as the morning light flooded in, making its path along the wooden floor and up the wall on the other side of the room. She nudged a box out of the way with her foot and sat down on another that was filled with books. She balanced a steaming cup of coffee on her knees.

She stared out at the world beyond her small flat. At the telephone poles and wires, the laundry fluttering in the wind and the small puffs of clouds in the blue sky . . . then gave a small, tired sigh, before taking a sip of coffee. The hum of voices from the street down below filtered through to her ears and she watched as a pair of birds soared high above. When they flew out of view, she lowered her gaze and followed the soundless movements of the leaves of a tree as it danced with the wind.

Brushing back a strand of hair, Sakura glanced back at her room. She let her eyes linger on the half-unpacked boxes, the bare walls and untidily stuffed cupboards. It had only been a week since she had moved out and the time had flown by so fast that she hadn't really gotten a chance to settle in. The hospital was but a road away, so her bed was the only thing that was lived in. Even when she still hadn't found the pillow-slips in the chaos of her boxes, it was beyond glorious to fall into bed after a long shift at work.

Sakura placed her coffee on the window sill, then slowly rubbed her sleep-ridden eyes clear. She laid an elbow on her knees, propping up her chin with a hand. She watched the steam rise languidly up into the sunlight from the rim of the cup, curling in and out of itself before disappearing all together. Her gaze drifted towards the small pot plant that lay by her coffee's side.

Three days had passed since Kakashi left for a mission, and, as always, she was left with the task of caring for Mr Ukki. The plant lay basking in the sun, reminding her of all those times that Kakashi had startled her out of sleep, at the oddest and most unholy hours in the morning, to shove the plant into her hands.

Sakura reached out, running a fingertip along the clay side of the plant's pot. The feel of it reminded her of those times that she watched him wave goodbye. And when she was left wondering, standing dumbly on her doorstep, if it would be the last time she'd see him.

Sakura knew the risks. She was a Chuunin, after all. She'd been on a many missions . . . but it still felt strange to be the one waiting – the one left behind. She worried, she feared and felt that she was betraying Kakashi by doing so. She became angry with herself, more often than not, for doubting his capabilities and strength. But then, just beneath the surface and ever-present, the thought of never seeing him again hit her like a physical blow, leaving her breathless and filled with dread.

Sakura didn't like waiting, but it was all she could do. For Naruto, for Sasuke, for _him._

Softly, a sigh left her, as she rubbed her face with her hands. She stared down, between the gaps of her fingers, at the floorboards. They were dusty, showing their disuse. She lowered her arms, laying them across her thighs, and looked at her bed, at the tangle of sheets and the pillows placed dangerously, carelessly near the edge of the mattress.

Her gaze slowly drifted to the photo frame by her bedside. It was of Team Seven, when they were young, foolish and unhindered by mistakes or choices. Suddenly, Sakura found her heart aching. She missed them – missed them _all_.

She wanted them back. She wanted Kakashi safely home so she could patch him back together again, like she had done so many times before. She wanted to bang on his apartment's door and to yell at him for being unpunctual and lazy and to drag him off to some cafe for breakfast before training. Even though it annoyed the hell out of her, she wanted him to ruffle her hair, because it showed he cared.

She gave a wry chuckle as she willed the tears away – concluding that a pot plant, even if it was named 'Mr Ukki', couldn't make up for his absence. It didn't do him justice.


	8. Chapter 8

xXx

'There's this one word, it's called comfort,  
It's the strangest, most dangerous place I could hide  
It's a wonder, this cold comfort  
Hasn't hollowed and swallowed you and I from inside . . .'

~ 'Paul Simon' by the Russian Futurists

xXx

The whole of Konoha was before them, bathed in the deep orange glow of the setting sun. The streets stretched out in a criss-crossing network, covered now and then by the green of great trees and accompanied by the different coloured roofs. The wall that surrounded the village seemed tiny next to the forest outside of it, one which sprawled over hills and disappeared into the clouded horizon.

Sitting upon the stone head of the Third Hokage, Sakura took a sip of sake from a bottle. After a moment of peering out at the village, she glanced to the side where Kakashi sat. She raised the bottle, shook it a little to grab his attention, then passed it to him.

'So here we are,' she said, as the wind swept her hair away from her face. It was getting cold, but she didn't mind the chill that crept up her bare arms and left goose-bumps. It was refreshing in the way only the wind could be.

'Indeed, here we are,' Kakashi said, handing back the bottle.

They sat in silence for a while, listening to the groans of wind as it passed them by. Slowly, it was getting darker and already some of the houses below were turning on their lights. Sakura put the sake bottle at her side, and let it rest on the stone beneath them.

'You know, I never imagined my birthday to be like this,' she said as she stared out at the horizon. 'It wasn't so long ago that I had dream of having a huge party.' The one side of her mouth curved upwards, and she opened her arms wide in a gesture that encompassed the entire village below. 'I dreamt of having everyone there to celebrate. I mean, _everyone_. We'd dance and sing and I'd get tons of presents. I dreamt that maybe even Sasuke would give me a smile on this day, one that was just for me.' She chuckled softly. 'Then, of course, Ino would get so jealous!'

She let her arms fall into her lap and she sighed. 'But as time went by,' she said quietly, looking down, ' – that dream got smaller and smaller, till it only held four people. I found myself not wanting to spend this day with near strangers and distant friends, but with the people who truly mattered to me. And so I dreamt of spending this day with my fellow members of Team Seven.' Her face held no smile, no trace of bitterness as she carried on, 'But even in dreams you have to face reality sometimes. In the end, I knew this day would end up like this.'

She glanced over at Kakashi, to find him watching her silently. 'And so here we are,' she said, her tone a tiny bit amused, and perhaps a little sad. 'Sitting together above the city, watching this day sink away, while drinking pilfered sake from our very own Hokage's secret store.'

'Well,' Kakashi said thoughtfully after a moment, 'It is damn good sake.'

She laughed, and settled into a grin. 'That it is!'

Sakura rested her elbow on her knee and propped up her chin with hand. 'But it would've been nice, right? Spending the day with Naruto and Sasuke, I mean.' She smiled wistfully. 'Think of it – just the four of us, wandering around the village in the sunlight, talking, laughing, bickering. Like the old times. We'd get the baka some Ichiraku ramen to stop him complaining how hungry he was and then we'd make some tomato extravaganza for Sasuke since he never liked sweet things. That would leave the cake, just for us two to share.'

'Don't forget the sake,' Kakashi added in seriously.

She nodded just as solemnly, her eyes twinkling. 'Of course not. We'd have sake and cake.'

'Good,' he said with a hint of satisfaction, the skin by his eye crinkling.

Sakura sniggered, then took another swig of sake. She swirled the bottle around, peering into it, then frowned. 'I guess this has been a good birthday, besides the fact that my parents had to rush off to work before I even woke up and that Ino is off on a mission. But it's been good in the way I got to spend a bit of it with you.' Suddenly, she thought over her words and felt awkward. But she pushed the feeling away and cleared her face of her frown, then pointed at their nearly empty bottle of sake. 'Come on, let's go buy some more of this stuff.'

Kakashi's eyebrow rose as he looked at her. He took the bottle from her, then finished it. 'Let's go, then, birthday girl. Drinks will be on me, but only this once.'

Sakura pouted. 'Stingy.'

Kakashi gave a little mock bow. 'Thanks for the compliment. You made my day.'

'Oh, I'm sure I did,' Sakura said, rolling her eyes, then grumbled under her breath, 'God, I need more sake.'

xXx

When the dawn came, they stumbled up the stairway of Sakura's apartment block. They were laughing and singing in a way that was neither loud nor soft. After a few failed, giggling attempts at putting the key in the door, they managed to unlock it. Once inside, with a bit of difficulty and lack of co-ordination, not to mention almost nonexistent grace, Sakura found her bed in the dark and fell into it.

Kakashi pulled the curtains closed, then turned around to draw a blanket over her. He tucked her in, then with a hand, he brushed the hair away from her face gently. When he stood up, he stared down at her sleeping, smiling face.

'You deserve more from life than this, Sakura,' he said quietly. 'Even if you know that, you're still stubborn enough to try to find him anyway. Both of you are. You'd probably hit me if I said this to your face, but you and Naruto are similar in more ways than some.'

He turned and left, intent on finding his way home along the empty streets.


	9. Chapter 9

xXx

'Confessingly, this is the first time I've loved you,  
And God, I mean it, God, I mean it,

I hope that I mean it . . .'

~ 'Colly Strings' by The Manchester Orchestra

xXx

They sat at a small table outside, red brick beneath their feet and a tree towering above them, its leaves hanging low while white flowers nestled between the green, almost hidden. Birds hopped across the bricks looking for crumbs, then when they came to close to the tables, they became startled and flew away in a flurry of wings and colour.

'And then – and then,' Sakura said between sniggers, her green eyes bright as she watched Ino's disbelief tumble into laughter, 'Kakashi threatened to tell Shizune where she had hidden all her sake. Needless to say, not even a second later, he had to swat away an empty sake bottle aimed at his head. And guess what? He did so with his _Icha Icha Paradise_.'

'Oh God, that couldn't have gone down well,' Ino said with wide eyes.

Sakura grinned. 'I've never seen Tsunade turn so red. Nor have I seen Kakashi run so damned fast. It was _brilliant_.'

Ino laughed behind a hand. 'You two,' she said, then shook her head amusedly. 'You guys do what more than half the ninjas in this place only dream of doing. . . let alone have the courage to face an angry Hokage-sama.'

'Truthfully - she's harmless,' Sakura said, shrugging a shoulder. She leant back into her chair, her cheeks pinked from laughing. 'Well, since Naruto isn't here to frustrate her, someone's got to do it.'

Ino mockingly saluted her. 'Picking up the mantle of responsibility, eh? Oh, your wisdom _humbles_ me, dear crusader,' she said, with a hint of sarcasm, bowing her head. She dodged a poke aimed at her arm with a giggle. 'But come on – the Hokage-sama only lets you guys get away with stuff like that because she's awfully fond of you.'

'Well, I _am_ her apprentice,' Sakura drawled, gaining a roll of eyes from Ino, 'that's got to count for something, right?'

'Certainly,' Ino answered pompously, then they both laughed so loudly that a waiter asked them to quieten down. They apologised breathlessly and ordered another round of coffee, snickering all the while. They made faces at the waiter's back when he turned around.

After a while, Ino wrapped her hands around her cup of coffee and looked up at the tree overhead. She smiled a little absent-mindedly, then brought her gaze back to Sakura again, wondering if they were still best friends after all this time. After all the absences, all the words still unsaid, the ones that shouldn't have been left at all in the quiet for so long.

'You know, you don't call Kakashi-san 'sensei' anymore,' Ino said softly. There was no accusation in her voice, or even jealousy, just a curious interest born from years of caring, and perhaps, worry too.

Sakura frowned down at her cup of coffee, then tucked a strand of pink hair behind an ear. 'Yeah, I guess I don't anymore,' she murmured, a strange expression on her face. Her voice quavered when she added, 'I didn't even realise.'

Ino smiled at her behind the rim of her cup, but Sakura didn't see it.

'I guess . . .' Sakura ducked her head. 'I guess he's all I've got left.'

Ino reached across the table and took Sakura'a hand in hers. 'You still got me, silly.'

Sakura looked up at her and smiled weakly. 'I know,' she said, 'but you know it's not like that. You've still got your team, your teacher – your family. But I . . . I've only got him.' She squeezed Ino's hand tightly, then let it go. 'But thanks for saying that,' she said sincerely.

Ino tsked under her breath, then looked away to the side with a pout. 'Stupid Forehead-Girl.'

A grin widened on Sakura's face, her eyes twinkling. 'Stupid Ino-Pig.'

The waiter gave an exasperated sigh when heads turned in the cafe as the two girls laughed at each other merrily.


	10. Chapter 10

xXx

'Oh, well, I don't mind, if you don't mind  
'Cause I don't shine, if you don't shine.  
Before you go, can you read my mind?

It's funny how you just break down,  
Waiting on some sign.  
I pull up to the front of your driveway,  
With magic soaking my spine.  
Can you read my mind?'

~ 'Read My Mind' by The Killers

xXx

Sakura half-ran, half-skipped ahead, her eyes wide as she took everything in. She paused, then grinned and started to spin around, her arms outstretched. Her scarf whirled around with her as she laughed, and as the green world above her went by in a blur. She stumbled a little on a root, then stopped and steadied herself with a breathless smile.

Kakashi stood a small way from her, evidently amused, his eyebrow arched. But his arm was slightly raised nevertheless as if he had been ready to catch her if she fell. He quickly let it fall, but not before Sakura saw. She only gave him a small smile for moment, her eyes brilliant, her cheeks pink from the cold air and from excitement. But that was before she gave into the urge to look around, as if she could see everything all at once.

Sakura felt like she was being swept up in the moment. She couldn't get enough of the way the air smelled, so different, so fresh and clean, like crushed pine-needles and opening flowers, like hot river-sand hit by a shower of rain. They were on a wide, well-trodden path that crept its way through a row of ancient trees. Sakura had seen it all her life, only in passing though, as a path that the villagers used to walk upon in the afternoons.

It came to her as a surprise at how swiftly she had fallen in love with the place, with the gentle winding path, with the feeling of the world beneath her feet, and with the sheer _green_ that surrounded her. She felt as if she'd never taken the time before to notice how many colours there were in nature, even for all the missions and training she'd had in it. When she walked along the path, she felt as if she were newborn and seeing the world for the first time. The curiosity and wonder that had erupted into a fierce and steady flame within her hadn't really left yet. She didn't want it to.

'Isn't it amazing?' she said, turning to face Kakashi.

He glanced at her, then stared a while, before the skin by his eye crinkled. Sakura found herself smiling because he was smiling, even though it was hidden deep under that mask of his. It didn't really matter to her then that the mask was there, like it usually did, in that sort of niggling-in-the-back-of-your-mind way, because she was too full of wonder right then.

She made a playful face at him, and put her hands on her hips. 'Well?' she asked, her eyes twinkling.

'It's adequate,' Kakashi drawled, just as he reached to get out his Icha-Icha Paradise. He had to laugh though when Sakura made a disgusted noise, spun around, and stomped noisily on ahead. He walked fast to catch up with her, then slowed down into a steady pace at her side. She gave him a side-long glare.

'Fat chance of me ever taking you to any of the nice places I find again,' she muttered, stuffing her hands into her jacket pockets.

Kakashi snorted, then retorted, 'Oi, give me a chance to see what you see, Sakura.'

'Are you even going to try?' she asked, eyeing him sceptically.

He put a hand on her shoulder, which made her become still and look up at him expectantly. He let his gaze wander the scene around them, before it came back to rest on Sakura. 'I am trying,' he said softly. He chuckled, then added almost apologetically, 'It's just that I've seen a lot of forests and trees in my life-time, to be honest.'

Sakura rolled her eyes, then shook her head and carried on walking. Kakashi relaxed a little at the smile he saw curving its way along her mouth, then moved to follow her. They went on in a comfortable silence that Sakura found she liked, because it made her feel warm and welcome. Had any of her friends been this comfortable with her? She couldn't honestly remember anything like this. She and Ino were prone more to yelling and laughing than thoughtful silences. Not that she minded, though. It was just different.

'Oh, yeah, I just remembered,' Sakura said with a grin. 'I decided that since you haven't been too keen on telling me when your birthday is – I'm going to randomly allocate any given day in a year to be your birthday. And I shall give you presents. And we will drink sake, of course, as per our tradition.'

Kakashi blinked at her. 'You . . . you never asked me when my birthday was, Sakura.'

'I know that,' she carried on conversationally, 'I was _hoping_ you'd subtly tell me the date in that sneaky way of yours so I wouldn't gave to fall back on plan B. Which is this: Happy Randomly Allocated Birthday, Kakashi!'

Sakura took a small wrapped box out of her pocket proudly. He stared at her, then frowned. 'You certainly are a strange one, Sakura,' he said, before taking the present from her tentatively. As he slowly unwrapped it, he didn't look at her when he added, 'It's on fifteenth of September, by the way.'

Sakura looked a little stunned for a moment, before she smiled triumphantly at him. Then just as quickly as her smiled appeared, it changed and became mischievous. She snatched the box right out of the startled man's hands and ran away, laughing merrily.

'You'll have to wait then, baka!' she called out, and ran faster, because Kakashi had decided to give chase.

xXx

'Are you going to drag me to strange places every free day we get?' Kakashi asked amusedly.

Sakura looked up at him as she tugged off her boots. She had to chuckle at the dancing light she saw in his dark eye. 'Nope, just on most of them,' she replied cheekily. She hung her jacket on the hook behind her apartment door, and wandered into her kitchenette with the intent to make tea.

When she came out, Kakashi was sitting on one of her numerous boxes, looking out of the window. She put his steaming cup of tea in front of him on the sill, then sat down on the floor next to him. She joined him in staring out at the cloudy sky and the world outside. One of the things she liked about Kakashi was that he didn't mind that she didn't always have something to say, to talk about. He'd just smile and go on reading most days, letting her soak up the sun and the sense of companionship she had when she was around him. He didn't mind that sometimes she didn't want to think, but just look and let everything float on by her.

After a while, Sakura glanced up at him, then casually tossed something at Kakashi. He caught it automatically and opened his hand to see what it was. The present she'd taken from him lay in his palm, still half unwrapped.

'I was joking earlier – you can have it,' she said, not looking at him, but out of the window instead as she sipped her tea.

Kakashi smiled under his mask. He reached out, gently grasped her chin and turned her head. He kissed her on her forehead and simply said, 'Thank you.'

Sakura didn't know why, but suddenly it felt wonderful to be alive.


	11. Chapter 11

xXx

'Don't know why I'm still afraid  
If you weren't real I would make you up now.  
I wish that I could follow through,  
I know that your love is true  
And deep as the sea.  
But right now  
Everything you want is wrong,  
And right now  
All your dreams are waking up,

And right now

I wish I could follow you . . .'

~ 'Honey and the Moon' by Joseph Arthur

xXx

'Oh, don't you dare start that again!'

Sakura playfully shoved Ino away with a glare, but she soon couldn't hold back an unwilling smile when Ino stumbled to the side, laughing. 'What, tease you about that day you walked into the hospital with your slippers on by mistake?' she asked teasingly, trying to appear blasé, but failing miserably. She couldn't look anything but amused, Sakura thought to herself mutinously.

'Yes, that! You'll never let me live that one down, will you?' Sakura demanded, her cheeks pink from embarrassment. Ino gave her one look, completed with a wide mischievous grin and twinkling eyes, which told Sakura the answer to that particular question. She frowned at Ino, then huffed loudly.

'I'm being silly, aren't I?' Sakura muttered.

'Very,' was her reply. 'It's okay to laugh at yourself, you know.'

'Right now, you're doing all the laughing for me.'

Ino stuffed her hands into her pockets, then raised an eyebrow. 'Well, what are best friends for?'

Sakura shook her head exasperatedly as they went down the passageway. She glanced at Ino walking at her side, then looked out of the window at the sunlit village sprawling out below. She liked the view from the Hokage building since it was one of the tallest in Konoha, and it had allowed her over the years to see her home in ways she would've never thought possible. There was nothing quite like seeing the sun dawn over the great wall at the village borders and flood the world in golden red light. But the sight of all the village's lights twinkling bright in the darkness of a moonless night definitely came second. Sakura liked the fact that she could see the differences that light and the changing of the seasons could do to a place – and to see it from one angle, one view every day, as the world slowly transformed before her, was sometimes breathtaking.

'You know, you've been prone lately to lapsing into thoughtful silences. Is something bothering you?' Ino remarked, startling the girl out of her musings.

Sakura blinked, then said, 'What? No. I'm okay, really. You don't have to worry.'

'And am I to believe you're just thoughtful?' Ino asked sceptically.

'Truthfully, yes.'

Ino gave her a knowing look. 'Come on . . . you can tell me.'

'But there's nothing to tell!'

Ino grinned, and suddenly Sakura had a sinking feeling in her stomach. She knew that grin. She knew it every well. It meant that Ino had sunk her teeth into something and wouldn't let go till she got what she wanted. And that usually was Sakura's embarrassing secrets.

'You know what I'm thinking?'

'No, I don't know what you're thinking,' Sakura muttered, but Ino carried on as if she hadn't heard that comment.

'I'm thinking you like someone. You only get this moody and pensive about a boy,' Ino tapped the tip of her nose thoughtfully. 'Come on, who is it? Is that gorgeous new jounin who's been looking at you with big puppy dog eyes ever since you saved him on that mission a while back?'

Sakura blushed, and tried to interrupt, 'Oh, shut up - '

'Or is it that guy from the hospital that keeps on coming back and bringing flowers for you, saying that you've got his eternal gratitude. Aha! He's offering to show you his gratitude in 'other' ways . . .' Ino winked at her outrageously, and got a disgusted look in return.

'Ino, what _are_ you going on about? No. Just _no_. He's married!' Sakura interjected.

'So? That's hardly a bump on the road of true love.'

'He's like seventy too.'

Ino snorted. 'Well, if that's how you like them - '

Sakura put her hand over Ino's mouth, her expression both mortified and forbidding. Mirth danced in the girl's blue eyes, and her shoulders shook with suppressed laughter. 'This is what's going to happen,' Sakura said reproachfully, 'We're not going to continue this conversation. Ever again. And you're _not_ going to try to hook me up with anyone. Or make such ridiculous assumptions. All right?'

Ino nodded and made affirmative noises. When Sakura took her hand away, Ino smiled and said, 'But you must admit they were funny assumptions.'

That gained her an eye-roll. 'They were.'

'You're just laughing on the inside, I suppose.'

'Whatever makes you happy, Ino.'

They walked in silence for a while, not looking at one other. It was a strange silence, one full of the ghosts of their amusement that was now slowly drifting away. But it also held curiosity, and it was so present and strong that Sakura swore she could physically feel its tug. After a while, Sakura could hardly stand it, but she didn't want to be the one who caved first. It wasn't as if she wanted to answer Ino's question, not to her – and not even to herself.

Sakura found herself glancing to the side at her friend. Ino bit her lip, and there was a seriousness to her gaze that Sakura had rarely seen. Well, she had seen it more often these days, but it still startled her. It baffled her more like. Ino returned Sakura's stare, wearing a small strange smile. Sakura fancied that she knew Ino very well, but it was in times like these that she realised she only knew a few sides of her friend – and the rest were wholly unreadable, and almost strangers to her. She guessed this was what it was like getting to know someone again.

'But really,' Ino said quietly, 'you like someone, don't you? And it's not Sasuke this time.'

A tiny frown formed on Sakura's face when she looked away. Her hands at her side clenched, then unfurled just as quick. She crossed her arms and said softly, 'Well, yeah.'

Ino opened her mouth to say something – maybe tease her friend, or try find out who – but Sakura's expression was closed off, and she knew nothing more on this would be said for a long time.

As they carried on walking, Ino wondered what possessed her to mention the S-word. It was always one sure way to complete, deafening silence.

xXx

It was strange to be so aware of someone else again. Someone who wasn't Sasuke.

It just took a few words to implant this idea in her head, and though Sakura knew Ino meant no harm, she still felt angry at her. Suddenly all she could think about was him. It was maddening. How could a few words make her hyper-aware of everything? She couldn't stop her mind from racing back to her memories of Kakashi, and looking at all that was said and done between them in a different light. Was there something more to what they had than friendship? Or was it Ino's words that were twisting everything out of proportion as they usually did?

The rational side of her said it was definitely that. But the side of her that longed to hope, flared into life, and left her bewildered in its wake. She felt like she could hardly keep up with the soaring feeling in her chest.

But even as a war erupted between her head and heart – she knew most of all that she didn't want to think like this. She didn't want things to change. She was waiting for that day she could leave this place and go hunt Sasuke down with Naruto. She wanted to bring him home, no matter what. And she knew Naruto was going to keep that stupid promise he had made to her. A large part of her regretted that fiercely, and needed to follow the baka to make sure he wouldn't get himself killed in the process.

But her thoughts wouldn't stop racing. Confusedly, she wondered why she couldn't stop thinking about all the little things she liked about Kakashi; his hands, his wrists, the smiling lines about his eye . . . Just the little things. Things that made her suddenly miss him so very much.

A sight in the distance made her stop mid-step. In the middle of the field before her she could three poles sticking out of the ground – and the scene was instantly recognisable. She didn't even realise that she had been heading towards the first training ground of team seven.

This is where it all started, she told herself, not sure what she felt at the thought.

There Naruto had been tied to that stupid pole for cheating, and there Kakashi had made damn sure that his new genin knew what teamwork was. Sakura found she was smiling in spite of herself. But that smile fell from her face when she looked further and saw a figure standing next to the memorial stone.

Sakura realised she hardly knew why Kakashi went there every day – never bearing flowers, just a heavy silence that weighed on him. All she had ever heard him say on the matter was that his friends had died in action long ago. She wondered what he thought of when he stood there, unmoving. As she walked towards him, she wanted to know, because it suddenly felt important. Like she had been missing this particular piece in the puzzle she had been trying to figure out.

Sakura reached out and gently put her hand flat on the middle of Kakashi's back. She didn't know why she did that, but it felt right in this moment. He didn't startle, merely glanced over his shoulder, his gaze unreadable. She stared up at him solemnly.

Kakashi turned his head away, back to the words carved into stone. Her hand at his back slowly rolled into a fist and she closed her eyes. She knew that there were no words she could say to make it better – this was a grief he had carried long before she had known him. Maybe one day she would have the courage and strength to help him talk about it, but right now, she would let it all be. Instead, she opened her eyes and slipped her hand into Kakashi's.

He looked down at their clasped hands, then up to Sakura, only to find a warmth in her eyes he did not understand. She squeezed his hand tight, and nodded her head once. He looked down at the ground, before his eye flickered up to the memorial stone again. As they stood there, side by side, the wind brushed past them and sent the leaves of the trees rustling. Small clouds of sand were kicked up from the path and danced away with the wind. Sakura could feel such sadness from Kakashi that she almost felt helpless in response.

But she still stood there, holding his hand, because that was all she could do. She could wait, and she was slowly learning the patience to do so.

It didn't matter in that moment that she had to figure out whether she liked someone or not. Ino's words, her teasing and unwelcome questions melted away as she stood by her friend. Yes, that was what he was – a friend. And that's what he needed right now. What she wanted didn't matter. Well, not now.

He needed someone to stand at his side as he weathered the storm.


	12. Chapter 12

xXx

'I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do  
About you now.  
And all the roads we have to walk are winding,  
And all the lights that lead us there are blinding.  
There are many things that I would like to say to you  
But I don't know how. . .'

~ 'Wonderwall' by Oasis

xXx

'Oh, yeah, just go and make yourself _comfortable_, won't you?' Sakura said sarcastically as she watched Kakashi hang up his jacket on the peg behind her apartment door. She scowled at him, then gave a loud wet cough, followed by sneeze that made her eyes water. 'And why do you _still_ use my window to get in instead of my perfectly functioning door?'

'Well, 'Kakashi said mildly as he tugged off his boots and left them at the entrance, 'I gathered that you weren't that inclined to get out of bed to open the door for me, to be honest. I took the impressive swearing I heard through the door after I knocked as a good indication that the window was the only viable option left.'

Sakura grumbled mutinously behind her tissues. She peered at him blearily, and then asked sourly, 'Why are you here, Kakashi? If you're here to poke fun at me . . .'

'Oh, God, _no._'

Sakura glared at him suspiciously. 'Good. Because if you do, you'll soon find I'm still strong enough to beat the shit out of you, cold and all.'

Kakashi glanced at her, eyebrow raised, then he shook his head amusedly at what he found –a girl with pink hair all over the place, flushed cheeks and a red nose, not to mention her hilarious attempts at a terrifying glower that only served to make her look a lot younger than she really was. Before Sakura could give into the urge to yell at him for his silently teasing smiles, he disappeared into the kitchenette.

'Hey! You didn't answer my question!'

'Can't you just put it down to me being here, doing what good friends do for each other?' Kakashi leant on the counter and gave her a pained look. 'I'm making a healthy breakfast for you. Doing my bit in aiding you on the road to recovery.'

Her mouth twitched into a smile, then, because she couldn't help herself, she laughed. 'You're incorrigible, you know that?' she said breathlessly. 'You just don't want to admit you lost that bet last week and have to pay it back.'

'Oh, shush, you. I'm just being nice.'

'Yeah, _right_. And pigs can fly.'

Kakashi rolled his eye and shook his head again, muttering, 'Note to self: Sakura becomes nasty when sick.' He straightened and moved away. She heard him open the fridge door, and its light shone eerily from the kitchenette across her ceiling and floor.

'Oh, and that breakfast better be pretty _damn_ amazing,' she said snootily as she listened to him rifling through her drawers and cupboards.

'Of course,' Kakashi looked up at her briefly and she caught a flash of a grin in his eye.

'You can't blame me for being wary though. I've never seen you cook anything – _ever_. Unless . . .' she stared at him for a moment, then looked helplessly amused, 'unless you went around this weekend and used your Sharingan on some poor, unsuspecting cook.'

All of a sudden it was suspiciously silent in the kitchenette.

Sakura rolled onto her side on her bed in her laughter, her blanket flying with her as she went. But she couldn't laugh for long because the coughing started again, and soon she had a hand over her mouth and around her chest as she convulsed. For some reason she found the fact that when she laughed she coughed ridiculous – and that resulted in her trying breathlessly not to do either, but she failed rather awfully in the end. When she calmed down, she lifted her head and saw Kakashi watching her worriedly over the counter. She waved her hand dismissively, then curled into herself, hating how her chest ached.

A minute or so of silence stretched between them, before Kakashi asked, 'Are you okay?'

'Yeah,' she sighed, then added very quietly, 'I hate being sick.'

Kakashi made a sympathetic humming noise that she recognised from those times she'd nearly collapsed from exhaustion because their missions, only to have Kakashi piggy-back all the way home. In those times, he'd studiously ignore the fact that she had burst into tears and left a wet mark on his shoulder – he did this for her, because she felt ashamed of breaking down. It was in those times, when he helped her get into bed and tucked her in, that she felt almost weak with gratitude for him being there when no-one else was. For always being there.

Sakura rolled over and peeked out of her protective cover of her blanket. What she saw made her freeze. She could hardly believe her eyes, so much so she rubbed them with the back of her hand in case she was dreaming. But she wasn't. She really wasn't.

Kakashi had pulled down his mask. It pooled around his neck with his forehead protector, while he seemed oblivious to the world as he focussed on his cooking. Sakura found that she was unable to tear her eyes away from his face – from the long line of his slightly pointed nose, from his thin lips pursed in concentration and his strong jaw-line. It was silly, she knew, that it startled her so much to realise that like everyone, Kakashi had a nose, a mouth. Had cheeks that could blush, and a jaw to trace.

Sakura put her hand on her chest when she noticed that her heart was beating fast. She took a moment to wonder at how at ease Kakashi seemed with the idea of her seeing his face. She thought back to the times he'd meticulously made sure she never would, and how he refused to talk to her about his mask seriously. There was always a joke to brush the issue aside. Always a shake of a head, always silence, to meet any of her pushy questions. She had given up after a while, because no matter how much she tried, she knew it would never amount to anything. But now . . .

But now, Kakashi had pulled down his mask – without any prompts, or ceremony. As she watched him, and knew he was aware she was doing so, she realised this was just how it was going to be. She decided she wouldn't make fuss about it, point it out, or declare to the world that she'd seen his face _at last_. She'd just accept it, though she knew wouldn't be able to stop herself from staring a little, because Kakashi had just shown he'd placed his trust in her.

She wasn't surprised at how possessive she felt over that trust. She had earned it, and it was hers to hoard and keep. So, with that resolve, she slowly got up to sit on her bed and turned to her friend, her eyes bright, and said lazily, 'How's it going? Burnt yourself yet?'

Sakura realised just then that there was nothing quite as perfect as that smirk he gave in reply.


	13. Chapter 13

xXx

'But I can try for your heart  
Our dreams and they are made out of real things  
Like a shoebox of photographs  
With sepia tone loving.  
Love is the answer,  
At least for most of the questions in my heart,  
Like why are we here  
And where do we go,  
And how come we're so hard.  
It's not always easy  
And sometimes life can be deceiving;  
I'll tell you one thing -  
It's always better when we're together . . .'

~ 'Better Together' by Jack Johnson.

xXx

It started out small, like most things do.

She could see it – Kakashi so seemed strangely tentative every time they were alone now, locked away in the safety of their rooms, in places where he could drop his mask and show his face. She never prompted him to do so, just smiled at him in that patient way he had started out frowning at, but ended up appreciating. She could tell from the warmth in his eyes now and then that her quiet acceptance wasn't quite what he had expected, and it still surprised him even days, weeks after. It amused her to see that he was almost always on edge, unconsciously so, thinking such a good thing wasn't going to last.

But Sakura had learnt that she could be stead-fast, be patient. Waiting didn't seem such a daunting prospect anymore, because she knew now how to use the time she had been given and to make it her own.

She had been doing it all along, really. She had taken the time she had been given, filled it with moments she never, ever wanted to forget, with all the smiles she had given and taken, all those wonderful instances of meaning, of understanding. She had taken the time she had been given, shared it, _lived it_, and made it not only hers, but theirs.

And she wouldn't have had it any other way.

xXx

Sakura laughed, because she couldn't help it.

Kakashi was sitting on the end of her bed, as he had all morning, sputtering in shock, because in trying to take a sip of his tea, he had realised a little too late that he'd forgotten that his face was still covered by his mask. Sakura sat there, a pencil tucked behind her ear, watching him and the strange picture he made; balancing an almost full tea-cup in one hand, a scroll he was trying to protect from the tea dripping off his chin in another, caused Kakashi to look momentarily confused as to what he should do first and where to put what where.

He looked up at her, to see her chuckling behind her hand, then rolled his eyes, and said, 'A little help here?'

She raised an eyebrow, mirth dancing in her eyes.

He sighed. 'With this,' he said, gesturing vaguely at his mask with his tea-cup, the liquid inside sloshing dangerously close to the edge with the movement. Sakura briefly thought of complaining about his disregard for the safety of her new white sheets, then stilled when the implications of what Kakashi had said hit home.

He had never asked this of her. She never really considered he ever would. They had never talked about him dropping his mask, because Sakura knew it was something _he_ had to bring up, and not her. But also, Sakura couldn't deny to herself that she was a little scared that if she forced him to explain, he'd clam up and go back to always wearing his mask around her again. But now . . .

Now this.

Sakura knew she had taken a bit too long in answering, and she was alarmed to note that in that small amount of time, the easy relaxedness of Kakashi's body had become tension. Sakura gave out a little sigh, then smiled at him as if she hadn't noticed the change at all. She reached forward, tugged his mask off gently, and sat back, leaning against her pillows again. She looked into his eyes for a moment, shrugged a shoulder, her mouth curling into a half-smile, then took her pencil from behind her ear and went back to her reading.

A while later, she heard Kakashi's tea-cup land with a _clink_ on floor next to her bed, and the rustling of a scroll being rolled, and it was only then she glanced up at him. It was silly, she knew, but it was in that moment when Kakashi had pulled his mask forward and was inspecting the material with narrowed eyes, biting his lip and looking irritated – when he was being so bewilderingly and utterly human – that she realised she loved him.

It was a love that had caught her unawares. It had snuck its way into her head and heart quietly, while the years passed and as she wondered all this time at his smile, both in his eyes and the curve of his mouth. It was so unlike the puppy-love she'd had before for Sasuke. This time it felt achingly _real_.

'I love you, you know,' she said softly, suddenly, the words out of her mouth before she even understood what it really meant to say them. But in that very moment she couldn't _not_ say them. She knew she'd feel embarrassed and awkward later, but right then that seemed very distant and she could only feel full of wonder – wonder at this revelation that surprised even herself, and most of all, at the immensity of the love she felt. It was humbling, daunting, but felt _right_.

'Sakura, I . . .' Kakashi stopped and stared at her almost helplessly, unable to look away. She could suddenly see the pained worry in his eyes, the kind he only ever had when he didn't want to hurt her. 'I'm . . .' he started again, then shook his head. 'I'm too old for you, and you're too young for me.'

It felt like a blow to the chest, leaving her breathless.

She sat there, her face curiously blank, till she realised Kakashi was still looking at her worriedly. She didn't know when he had done it, but he had her hands in his. It was then she realised he didn't want to hurt her, but saw it as inevitable. She wondered if he loved her as much as she loved him, and, strangely, felt like crying, not from sadness, but because the hope that had let her heart soar had left her, drained out of her without her making so much as a sound.

Part of her had hoped it would be easy.

She was tired of fighting and had hoped it would be easy to love him, unhindered by the fear of disapproving eyes. She wanted something simple in her life for once, as blissful as that moment she had told him that she loved him. But his words made her finally understand that she didn't want an easy love. She had always fought for what she wanted.

And she wanted _him._

And that meant everything that came along with him; the good and the bad. That meant his infuriating mask, but also all his hidden smiles, uncovered just for her. That meant all the sadness and the silences, the empty look in his eyes after a battle, even the past and the dead that followed him closely in his step. But that also meant the deep friendship they had, and their memories that linked them together almost as closely as blood. She wanted him, and she finally understood what that meant – that she'd get all, or nothing, because that was just how he was. And she didn't want anything less.

'Then I'll wait,' she said quietly, but there was no mistaking the determination in her voice. 'I'll wait for that day when everything is over – when we bring Sasuke back home. I'll even wait until Naruto is Hokage if you make me.'

'Sakura . . .'

'No, listen to me. I'll wait, because I know this won't go away,' she said, then held his gaze steadily. 'I'll wait, because I know it'll be worth it.'

She placed a hand on his jaw and leaned up to kiss his forehead. When she pulled back, she saw that he still remained locked in a struggle with himself and his thoughts. She hadn't expected anything else, because it wouldn't be fair to when he'd hardly had the time she'd had to awaken this thought in his head. Though, he seemed awfully alone and sad, sitting there. But Sakura knew she had done all she could do – it was now up to him to choose. And she'd wait, because after all, she'd learned the virtue of patience.

She'd give him all the time he needed.

And she'd take the time she was given and would make it her own, because after all, she was only beginning to learn how to love him.

xXx

**The End.**

Here's a thank you to every single one of you who reviewed – you made sure I didn't give up on this story :) I thank you, for making me write, and for giving that little needed incentive to go on this journey - I frankly needed it. It's been a while, almost two years, but it's done.


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